Arielle Immortal Passion (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 3)

by Lilian Roberts

  “Where would a secret passage be leading to?” Ian asked. “Could it be going out to that cemetery we passed when we went horseback riding? I read about how cemetery vaults sometimes had access to castles during medieval times.”

  “I don’t know, Ian, but that will be one of the places we will investigate, as well as others I have in mind,” Sebastian said. “We’ve all lived in places that have been built with secret passages, so we have some notion about where to look and what to look for.”

  “What are you looking for? What would make you think there is a secret passage at a particular place?” Ian asked.

  “We’ll look for secret doors that are designed to blend in with the surroundings, as if they were part of the walls. We are going to look behind fireplaces and bookcases for some small mechanism on the walls that may be the key to opening a secret door. We’ll go to the vaults at the cemetery and check behind the monuments and statues for access doors that lead to the house. We are not going to leave a single stone unturned until we find them all and seal them up. We are going to trap Annabel, or whoever is with her, in one location and then kill them. That is the whole purpose.”

  “I suppose all of your friends are immortals,” Ian said. It was more of a statement than a question.

  “Yes, they are,” Sebastian and Troy replied in unison.

  Ian blinked, assessing the two of them swiftly. He paused for a moment, and then he briefly frowned.

  Sebastian and Troy raised their brows quizzically. “What is it, Ian?” Sebastian asked.

  “Well, let me ask a stupid question then,” Ian finally managed to say, a baffled look still on his face. “If your friends are all immortals, why do they bother flying or driving to get here?”

  Troy and Sebastian understood their friend’s curiosity, and Sebastian smiled gently before answering. “We use our immortal abilities only when it is absolutely necessary. Otherwise, we live our lives just like any other person.”

  “Well,” Ian said. “I want to help, and I will help. And don’t worry about me, I’m a big boy.”

  Troy and Sebastian chuckled. They loved Ian, but they knew that he had no idea what kind of power they were going to be fighting.

  “Thanks, Ian, that will be great,” Sebastian said.

  Chapter 13

  WHEN ARIELLE AWOKE, she realized she was alone. The clock showed ten o’clock, but the room was still quite dark. A soft gold band of light slipped in through the corner of the window where the curtain was not completely shut.

  The room was absolutely silent.

  She sat up and shook her hair out of her eyes and raked her fingers through it. The sweet scent of Sebastian mixed with the smell of fresh blossoms hit her nostrils, making her smile. She could see that he had taken a shower and was already gone. She slammed back down onto the bed and, throwing her arm over her eyes, sighed deeply. How strange was that? She was missing him already. She closed her eyes and savored the thought of him and the thrill that was surging through her in rushing waves of heat. This is crazy, she thought. How can he be having this type of effect on me when he’s not even here, when he is not even touching me? She still found it hard to believe, but then everything about Sebastian was hard to believe.

  This was a dream, her dream, and she was going to drown in the elation it provided. He always managed to reduce her to a shuddering state of gratification each and every time she was in his arms. She closed her eyes and drew a deep breath. Then, she sat up again and scooted to the edge of the bed. She felt a headache coming on and shut her eyes, trying to make it go away. Legs dangling over the side, she brought both hands up to her thrumming temples and pressed hard. She needed a pain reliever.

  Jumping off the bed she strode to the bathroom and rummaged through the medicine cabinet in nervous anticipation. She was sure that she wasn’t going to find anything in Sebastian’s bathroom since he never had the need of pain relievers, but it was worth trying. To her complete amazement, she found a bottle of aspirin. Her eyes flashed in delight and taking a couple of pills, she went back to bed to lie down until the pain went away. A while later, headache gone, she got into the shower and took her time getting ready. She decided to call Gabrielle, who picked up on the first ring.

  “What are you doing?” Arielle asked. “You sound sleepy.”

  “I’m still in bed. What are we going to do while the guys are meeting their friends at the airport?”

  “Have you talked to Eva this morning?”

  “Yes, she is waiting to hear what you want to do.”

  “Do you want to go to the beach?”

  “I would love to do that. Maybe we can have lunch at that great little place we all had lunch the other day.”

  “That’ll be fine. Do you want to call Eva, or do you want me to do it? All I have to do is dry my hair and put my bathing suit on.”

  “Give me about a half hour. I will call Eva and let her know,” Gabby said.

  “Fine,” Arielle replied and ended the call. She finished drying her hair, put her bathing suit on, grabbed a beach towel, and walked out the door. Gabrielle was almost ready when Arielle knocked on her door, and Eva showed up a couple of minutes later. They hugged each other and left Gabby’s room, chatting blissfully.

  They were almost at the end of the long hallway when Gabby suddenly gave out a quiet chuckle.

  “What is it?” Arielle asked, turning in Gabby’s direction.

  Gabby snorted, and after a short moment, she said, “Oh, I was just remembering a funny incident involving Eva a long time ago,” she said.

  “Oh, really?” Eva said, tilting her head to look into Gabby’s face, her eyes wide open. “Go ahead, do tell,” she added, giving Gabby a nod of approval.

  Still chuckling, Gabby said, “Remember that time in Brighton when a big wave hit Eva while she was bodysurfing and pulled the bottom of her bathing suit off, then slammed her onto the sand?”

  Arielle laughed, and turning, she gazed at Eva, waiting for her reaction. Eva gave a self-conscious laugh and glanced back between Arielle and Gabby, unable to hide her amusement. She hadn’t found it very funny at the time, but it had been hilarious to Arielle and Gabby as they watched her chase after that small little scrap of fabric for a long way before she was finally able to come out of the water. Infectious laughter overtook the three of them as they descended the main staircase. The vivid vision of Eva on that beach was enough to have tears running down their faces. As they came to the bottom of the stairs, Ian, Troy and Sebastian stepped outside the library to see what all the commotion was about.

  The sight of the three girls doubled over with laughter brought them to a stand still. “What’s so funny?” Sebastian asked.

  Gabrielle made a dismissive gesture with her hand. “Oh, it’s a long story, you probably wouldn’t understand, but it’s very funny and we just can’t stop laughing,” she said in answer to their puzzled looks. But she couldn’t even really get the words out of her mouth. She bent over helplessly in the middle of what she was saying, and they all laughed even harder.

  Sebastian pulled Arielle against him and bending down, he pressed his mouth to hers and kissed her thoroughly.

  “I missed you this morning,” she said, trying to fake a frown on her face but unable to do so, still seeing the image of Eva chasing her bikini bottom down the beach in her head.

  “You don’t sound like it.”

  “I love you so much, and I really missed you,” she insisted, pressing her lips to his at the same time she was trying to hold back laughter.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “Oh, just like Gabby said, it’s just a very funny story about Eva on the beach a long time ago. You know we have a lot of those stories that just make us laugh and this one came up again this morning. We are going to the beach and we’ll have lunch at that little place we all went the other day.”

  “I’ll miss you,” he said, longing in his eyes.

  “You didn’t wake me up this morning,” she said, givin
g him a meaningful look. He gathered her in his arms again and their gazes locked.

  “I’ll make it up to you tonight,” he whispered, his lips brushing her ear.

  “Do you want us to stay and help you?” Arielle said, gaining control of her voice at last.

  “No!” he said forcefully, and then added more gently, “I’d rather you are not here while we’re trying to work this out. I’m not sure how long it will take or what we are going to find.” The hardness in his voice startled Arielle, but she didn’t say anything.

  “Stay away from strange guys,” he said, pulling her closer, arms locking tightly about her. “I love you,” he whispered. She looked up smiling and, reaching up, she drew his lips to hers.

  “Be careful,” Troy said to Gabrielle.

  They were halfway to the door when they heard Ian’s voice call out innocently. “Make sure you keep your bathing suits on.” That was enough to send the three girls into uncontrollable laughter all over again. Eva bent over laughing and Arielle and Gabby were in tears.

  They waved and walked out still laughing, leaving the guys shaking their heads in puzzlement. And they got into the car and drove away still laughing.

  But as they moved farther away from the house a heavy silence dropped inside the car like a gloomy screen, reminding them that something serious was going to take place back at the house and that their loved ones might be in danger.

  “I don’t know what a fight between immortals will be like, but the thought makes me very anxious,” Arielle said. She looked over at Gabrielle and Eva and saw uneasiness on their faces as well.

  “I’m worried about Ian,” Eva said. “He doesn’t possess the powers that Troy and Sebastian have.”

  “Don’t worry, Eva, there will be eight guys there to protect Ian. I wouldn’t worry about him at all,” Gabrielle said.

  “I did ask them if we could stay and they were very adamant about us getting away from the house. I think they know what they’re doing,” Arielle added. “Let’s just go and try not to worry about them.”

  At the airport Sebastian, Troy, and Ian pulled up in front of the door nearest the baggage claim ten minutes before the first flight arrived. They didn’t have to wait long. Troy’s friends walked out through the sliding doors as several people turned to stare in their direction, stunned by their amazing looks and flawless features. Used to that kind of reaction, they didn’t pay any attention, but walked toward Troy, who was standing by the cars. They exchanged warm handshakes, and Troy introduced his friends to Sebastian and Ian.

  Sebastian let the greetings wash over him and, glancing between the three men, he seized the moment to express his appreciation. “Thank you for coming,” he said sincerely. “I have found myself in a bit of a tight spot, and I need all the help I can get.”

  “Oh, don’t mention it. We’re happy to help,” Gerard said. “Besides, this is a great place to get a little holiday at the same time,” he added, grinning.

  “Life can get awfully boring in our infinite time span. I’m sure that the three of us are ready for some action,” Antonius added, laughing. They exchanged small talk and news from Italy with Troy, and before long Sebastian’s friends had also arrived. Once again, bystanders gawked as the immortals came out of the terminal, and once again the immortals ignored the attention. New introductions, new smiles, and new warm handshakes ensued. Pretty soon they all climbed into the waiting cars and left for the house. It was evident to the people at the airport that they must be looking at a group of male models heading for a convention. What else could they possibly think while staring at gorgeous guys who looked as if they belonged on a painter’s canvas rather than at the airport arrivals platform?

  The house was quiet as they all climbed the huge front staircase and entered the foyer carrying their luggage.

  “Troy, can you take the guys upstairs? Let them choose any bedroom that’s not occupied,” Sebastian said. Turning his attention to his guests, he added, “Please take your time, freshen up, and let’s meet down here in the library at three-thirty. Jacques should be here shortly. Ian and I will wait down here for him. When we are all together, we can discuss details of the situation and figure out what we need to do and how to go about it. Any suggestions you have at that time will be most welcome,” Sebastian chuckled.

  They all thanked Sebastian and quickly climbed the stairs to the upper level. Sebastian and Ian stayed downstairs in the library to wait for Jacques. Walking into the library, Sebastian waved at Ian to take a seat at one of the large leather loungers, and he moved to take the one across from him.

  Sebastian gazed at Ian. He could clearly see confusion muddling Ian’s thoughts. His brows furrowed as he sensed the questions Ian was pondering in his mind about the newcomers and what was going to happen now that they were here.

  “What’s wrong, Ian?” he asked, feigning ignorance.

  Ian frowned for a quick moment and then his lips twisted into a wry smile. “Have you ever noticed how much you and your immortal friends favor each other?” he said.

  Sebastian seemed to consider his question for a long moment, and then he asked, “How so?”

  “Well, I’m not saying that you all have the same color hair and eyes, but your facial features and body build, like your broad shoulders and muscular thighs, are very similar. As a matter of fact, the similarities are staggering.”

  Sebastian snorted in reply. “I was hoping that I looked a bit better than those ugly guys, but that is part of being an immortal,” he said, trying hard to hold back laughter. Sebastian was well aware that immortals had many similarities. It was common knowledge in their world. Their amazing looks were obvious and hard to ignore.

  Ian grinned and stretching out his legs, he folded his arms on his chest. He said, “Ever since you told us about your immortality I’ve wondered, what would it feel like to be you?”

  Sebastian rose to his feet and started to pace back and forth. When he finally stopped pacing, he sank back into his chair and very carefully tried to use the right words for his reply.

  “Ian, being a human is an immortal’s dream—my dream—but we are who we are. Don’t wish for things that may end up being your biggest regret. My personal opinion is that trying to find your own way through life is what will make your journey interesting and worthwhile. I had no choice about my journey as a human being cut short,” he said, tapping the hand rest of his chair tensely. “Before I met Arielle, I used to look back quite often and wish that I had died along with the rest of my family. I hated this endless life. It was like a dreadful nightmare. You’re moving, but you’re going nowhere,” he said bitterly. “All these centuries past, I watched the world around me evolving, but I was standing still. Even after I met Arielle, I never stopped wishing, only this time I was wishing for something different.” He stopped talking as he gazed out the window, thinking about the unexpected turn of events that his life had taken.

  “What are you wishing for now?” Ian asked, clearly moved by Sebastian’s words.

  Sebastian turned toward Ian and regarded him carefully. “I wish that I could be human so I could enjoy a normal life with her. Give her children,” he said, his voice breaking, but he recovered quickly. “I want to make her happy and grow old with her. The bottom line, Ian, is that we are always in search of something that might make life better, richer, worthwhile! The loss and the birth of life, the lessons learned while on life’s journey, the trials we overcome and the goals we achieve, is what I find to be the most extraordinary part of life.”

  Ian looked mesmerized and was somewhat lost for words. He finally coughed to clear his voice, and settling into his chair more comfortably, he glanced up and realized that Sebastian was studying him intently. Ian cleared his throat again and smiling quizzically, he said, “But, Sebastian, you couldn’t possibly argue the fact that eternity isn’t preferable to death. Endless life would not be meaningless to me as long as I had Eva to walk along with me. You also can’t argue that all the desires we ha
ve for the future and those that thrust our lives forward would still be there, and that there would be more time to achieve them, and even create more along the way.”

  Sebastian inclined his head and smiled gently. “The true fact, Ian, is that all those things that you call desires and those that move you forward will really become trivial as they lose their supposed incentive. And the interests you set in your life will lessen, because immortality is an endless walk to nowhere.”

  Keeping his eyes on Ian’s face, he continued as if he were talking to himself, his gaze distant. “Your life as an immortal just keeps going on and on until you lose track of time. You lose track of your desires and your priorities. You are there and you will be there for centuries to come while everyone around you begins new life, evolves and eventually dies. But not before they bring new life into this world, with new views, and new goals. You see, it is an ongoing process,” he said, waving his hand dismissively and snorting wryly. “Immortals are not allowed to partake in this wonderful process of life because they have been given the dreadful gift of eternity.” His lips twisted, and he grimaced lightly as a rush of memories pushed though his head.

  Ian tried, but he couldn’t decipher any of Sebastian’s thoughts. What he understood was that the thought of immortality wasn’t a small concept to absorb. They remained silent for a long moment. Ian’s eyes flickered over the vast rows of bookshelves that stood like silent guards on either side of the room. He wondered how old some of the books were, who had touched each book, and when. He leaned against the backrest of the recliner and rested his arms on the armrests.

  “Have you read any of these books?” he asked.

  “Would you be surprised if I told you that I have read almost all of them more than once?”

  Ian’s eyebrows shot up. “You can’t be serious,” he said quietly.

  “Ian, five hundred plus years is a very long time. I had all the time in the world and it did get boring quite often,” he said with a disdainful sound.